Helpless Sylva takes case to God

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Having failed to secure favourable judgment from human courts in Nigeria, former Bayelsa state governor, Timipriye Sylva, has resigned his fate to divine powers in his quest to regain his lost office.

Following Friday’s Supreme Court judgement dismissing his suit challenging the governorship election in Bayelsa state, Sylva says he hopes for a final judgement on the matter by God.

“Everyone involved in the Bayelsa State governorship matter shall still face the judgement of history and the judgement of God,” he said in a terse statement shortly after the ruling which sealed his chances of returning to Bayelsa government house, Yenogoa.

The Supreme Court said in its ruling that the case brought by embattled former governor challenging his exclusion by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the ballot as its candidate for the recent governorship election in the State was in order.

The court ruled that the decision on candidates to field for elections is an intra-party affair in which courts cannot interfere.

Mr Sylva emerged as the governorship candidate of PDP in Bayelsa state for April 2011 elections.

But elections did not hold in the state in April that year because he and four other governors, including Liyel Imoke of Cross River, Ibrahim Idris of Kogi, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa and Ibrahim Wamako of Sokoto, got court judgments extending their stay beyond the May date hitherto thought to have been the end of their tenure.

Following a Supreme Court ruling annulling the court verdict that extended their stay beyond May, the party dumped Sylva and fielded Seriake Dickson, the current governor of Bayesla state, for the election.

Not satisfied with the decision of the party, Mr Sylva approached the court requesting that his initial nomination be validated for the elections, instead of the later nominations which produced the current governor.

Dark point

Mr. Sylva is in hiding and currently being prosecuted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A favourable ruling meant he would have regained a constitutional immunity from prosecution. Though he said he has accepted the ruling of the Supreme Court, “as a true democrat”, he said he considers his failure at the Supreme Court as “dark for democracy and justice in Nigeria.”

In a terse reaction,his media aide, Doifie Ola, said in a press statement titled DARK DAY FOR DEMOCRACY, that though his boss accepts the ruling as a democrat, it portends darkness for Democracy in Nigeria.

“As a democrat, Chief Timipre Sylva accepts today’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigerian,” Mr. Ola said. “He however considers the decision of the apex court as dark for democracy and justice in Nigeria. “Sylva believes today’s ruling is only the judgement of man and, certainly, not justice. He says after this, everyone involved in the Bayelsa State governorship matter shall still face the judgement of history and the judgement of God. Neither history nor God will not condone impunity.”

Despite the ruling and a lurking money laundering allegation, Mr Sylva is confident he has a long and bright political career ahead of him.